According to the Washington Business Journal, Amtrak is making discounts on its Northeast Regional fares permanent. The rail agency began offering the discounts, which require advance purchase last year. They were set to expire at the end of March, the Washington Business Journal reported.

Even though most Americans drive virtually everywhere, they support expanding and improving public transit systems such as buses and trains, a nationwide survey has found.

Perhaps more surprisingly, seven out of 10 people contacted for the poll said they would like to spend less time in their cars, but feel they have no other choice.

Those findings were included in a report issued Tuesday by Transportation For America, a public transit advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The telephone survey of 800 registered voters was conducted Feb. 27 through March 2 and has a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

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The group, also known as T4, released the survey because a Senate committee is trying to draft a new long-term transportation bill to replace the one that was extended through the end of the year by the Obama administration.

Right now, 80 cents out of every transportation dollar is spent on roads. T4 would like to see that money spread around to mass transit, even bike lanes or more sidewalks. The survey indicates a majority of the public agrees.

Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Burlingame and Belmont want 75 days, instead of the legally mandated 45 days, to submit reaction to the High-Speed Rail Authority’s analysis of the route, which is expected to be released April 8.